Convertible athletic garment



April 15; 1947. L. MINTZES CONVERTIBLE ATHLETIC GARMENT Filed Aug. 30, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 S E Z T m m U 0 L INVENTOR BY Mm ATTORN EY April 15, 1947. L. MINTZES I 2,418,979

CONVERTIBLE ATHLETIC GARMENT Filed Aug. 30, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 LOUIS MINTZ E5 INVENTOR ATTORNEY April 15, 1947. MINTZES CONVERTIBLE ATHLETIC GARMENT F iled Aug. :50, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 LOUIS MINTZ ES INVENTOR BY M ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 15, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVERTIBLE ATHLETIC GARMENT Louis Mintzes, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor of onehalf to Mil-Art Sportswear C0,, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application August 30, 1943, Serial No. 500,726

1'C1aim.

This invention relates to a form-fitting convertible athletic garment which permits unrestricted leg movements during athletic activities and which may be converted into a skirt with a marginally intact bottom.

In my prior Patent No. 2,308,929 I have disclosed a convertible garment wherein the entire bottom edge portion is marginally intact during normal wear. I have found that when a garment of this type is used for athletic purposes that the wearer finds difliculty in athletic activities to freely move the legs considerably vertically. I have accordingly disclosed herewith a convertible athletic garment having front and rear panels the lower portion of which permits unrestricted leg movements and which may be converted into a skirt with a marginally intact bottom.

In my prior patent I have shown trousers having open trouser legs joined by adjustable elastic bands which closely fit around the thighs of the wearer. The elastic bands serve to maintain the lower edges of the trouser legs in con tacting relation with the wearers legs. The trousers therein described are to be used mainly as an inner garment member, to be worn within an outer garment.

For the purpose of my present invention, which is to provide an inner garment member that may also be removed and worn as an outer "short garmenuthe trouser legs comprise fabric of sufiicient height to cover the thighs of the wearer.

For the purpose of using the former type inner garment member as a complete short garment I have disclosed herewith an inner garment composed of front and rear body portions, separable at the waist line but having a belt at the waist line. The belt permits the wearer to unite the front and rear body portions into unitary relation so that the short as thus formed may be 1 used as a complete outer garment, held firmly to the body in frictional relation by the belt.

In my prior patent I have disclosed spacedapart inwardly extending flaps at the front and rear of the garment. These inner flaps are preferably formed by folding the garment fabric inwardly at points spaced from the front and rear mid-portions of the garment. These prior iner flaps are directed toward each other. The prior flaps are of considerable width and have fastening elements at the free edges thereof to permitthe garment members to be secured in spaced-apart relation.

In the present disclosure I employ reversely folded inwardly extending vertical extensions at the front and rear mid-portions of the outer garment, the said inward extensions originating at the edges defining the front and rear bottom openings of the garment and terminating in free vertical edge-portions, each of which has fastener elements attached thereto.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described, and the combination and arrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claim which forms part of this specification.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the convertible athletic garment.

Figure 2 is a view inside the garment in open position, the bifurcated inner garment being in attached relation within the outer garment.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view, the section being taken as on line 33 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the trousers, on an enlarged scale, in position for attachment to the outer garment member.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the inner garment member turned inside out and converted for use as a ventilated short and a circumferential Waist belt added.

Figure 6 is afront elevation of the garment shown in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, showing front and rear openings at the lower portion of the garment such as appear when the garment is used for athletic purposes.

Figure 7 is a central cross-sectional view of v a modified form of the covering garment in the form of a skirt showing inward extensions in non-superposed relation and with the bottom in position showing front and rear openings. Figure 8 is a vie-w of a modified form of the covering garment, similar to Figure 7, showing the inward extensions in superposed relation and a marginally intact bottom or lower edge.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional View of the garment shown in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, the section being taken as on line 99 in Figure 2.

Figure 10 is a rear view of the garment. In the illustrated embodiment of the-invention,

. the numeralv it indicates a convertible athletic (garment ccmprising an upper body portion I [and alower skirtportion 12. The. skirt l2 flares outwardly from the waistline to the bottom edge I3.

The waistline portion M has a belt l5.v

The garment it has front facing l6, IS. The facing it has buttonholes ll while the facing l6 has buttons 18. The facings provide a separable front opening it in the garment l8 extending from the neck. 26 to the bottom edge l3. The buttons l8 provide a means for closing the opening l9 down to the crotch 2 I.

As shown in Figure 9, the lower skirt portion 12, when used for athletic purposes, has av front opening 18 and a rear opening 25, the openings being in alinement and positioned at the midportion of the garment. It will be seen that in this view the leg openings 26 of a. trousers 21 is shown. The trousers are designed to form an inner garment member vertically adjustable within the outer garment member It.

Figures 7 and 8 show a modified outer garment member It in the form of a skirt or short, in which the trousers 2? may be detachably supported. I provide pairs of fabric strips or extensions 28, 28' at the front and at the rear of the mid-portion of the outer garment member to, and of the outer garment member it. The pairs of extensions are preferably formed by folding the garment fabric inwardly and directed away from each other. It is to be noted that the front facings l6, l6 shown in Figure 2 are in reversely folded position and that directly beneath the facings l6, 16 are the fabric strips or extensions 28, 28'.

The extensions 28, 28 start substantially at the waist line M and terminate at the bottom edge I3. The extensions have vertically spaced snap fasteners 29, 29" secured to tapes 3G, 39'. The tapes are secured to the garment by stitching 3 l, 3!.

As shown in Figure 3, it will be seen that the extensions are of considerable width or transversely elongated and have the fastening elements at the free edges thereof to permit the free edge portions of the extensions to move to and from the mid-portion of the garment, whereby the garment members l8 and 21 or and 2'! may be secured in spaced-apart relation.

The folded outer edges defining the extensions A are stitched to form tucks 32, 32'. These downstitched edges are thus sharply defined and cause the fabric to re-fold repeatedly to the same predetermined straight edges when the openings are closed and the said edges or tucks 32, 32 are in contacting relation.

It is to be noted that the attachment of the inner garment member to the spaced free edges of the inwardly directed extensions causes concealment of the securing means 29 29 of the inner garment.

The extension 26 has a snap fastener element 33 secured thereto near its upper end BA. The garment fabric has a complementary snap fastener element 33' facing the snap fastener element 33.

The snap fastener elements 33 and 33' are in concealed relation below the extension 28 when in the position shown in Figure 7.

The trousers 21 comprises a front body portion 35 and a rear body portion 35' which are spaced apart from the waist to the vicinity of the hips of the wearer. The trousers have trouser legs 3%, leg embracing side portions 31 of considerable vertical height and openings 38 for ventilation 7 above the side portions 3? and between the body portions 35, 35. The trousers 21 has vertically spaced snap fasteners 29 28 secured to tapes 35, 3i]. The tapes are secured to the trousers by stitching 3i.

., garment termed a dress.

It is to be noted that the garment shown in Figures 7 and 8 has the same construction as the nether garment shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, except that this garment does not have a waist member.

It is to be noted that in the position shown in Figure 7, both extensions 28, 28' are in open position, with the snap fastener elements 33, 33' in secured relation and with the snap fastener elements 29 ready for attachment thereto of the complementary snap fastener elements 29 29 of the trousers 2?. As shown in Figure 8, the snap fasteners 33, 33' are not in secured, relation to permit the snap fasteners 2s, 29' to be fastened together and the upper end portion of the extension 28 to be secured to the garment Ill.

It will be seen in Figures 6 and 7 that irrespective of how great the front opening I9 or the rear opening 25 happens to be, the trousers 21 will remain in secured relation to the garment l0 or ld throughout the whole length of the extensions 23, 28' which serve to conceal the trousers.

The relationship of the parts iii and 2'! is such that part 59 without the trousers 27 is an outer When the trousers 27 are attached inside the garment Iii, the combination forms an athletic garment which can be used in bicycle riding or bowling and wherein the bottom portion of the outer garment cannot be raised so as to expose the body of the wearer.

As shown in Figure 6, the transversely elongated extension 28 is partly opened up and extends beyond the facing l6 and conceals the snap fasteners 29 and the tape 39.

The trousers are in unitary relation with the free edges of the extensions 28, 28' at the front and rear openings. This form of attachment causes movement as a unit of the trousers legs and the fabric edge portions of the outer garment at the openings. This unitary connected relation prevents the free edges at the openings from being freely blown up or blown apart instormy weather. The trousers are vertically adjustable in the outer garment by securing the snap fasteners at different elevations to complementary snap fasteners inside the outer garment. The trousers may be raised or lowered within the outer garment and secured thereto at different positions below the waist.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that there is provided a marginally intact bottom and that there are no openings normally visible from the front to the rear of the garment or from the rear to the front, that is when the garment I0 is worn for ordinary use and not for athletic purposes. In the position shown in Figure 1, the inner garment 21 is completely concealed within the outer garment and there is no way of telling that the garment 21 is mounted within the outer garment l0.

It is to be noted that the extensions 28, 28,

shown inFigures 3 and 6 for the garment to are made identically and function identically as do the extensions 58, 28, for the garment lfl shown in Figures 7 and 8. In both outer garments l0 and iii, the said extensions are disconnected at their lower end portions from both garments to permit them to function as free moving flaps all along their lengthwise extent. 'It is to be noted that the numerals l 5, LS, show the front facings'ofthe outer-garment l0. (Figure 6.) The numerals 28, 28 show fabric strips or extensions at the rear of the facings 16,16. The facings l5, l5 coverand concealthe'strips 28, 28' when the outer garment is closed.

Figures 7 and 8 differ from Figures 1 to 4 in that Figures 1, 2 and 3 show an outer garment consisting of a skirt and waist in unitary relation, whereas Figures '7 and 8 show an outer garment in the form of a skirt.

As shown in Figure 5, the trousers 21 may have a belt 40 passing through a tubular waist band 4|. The belt 40 permits the wearer to unite the front and rear body portions 35, 35' of the trousers into unitary relation so that when the trousers are turned inside out to the position shown in Figure 5, the inner garment member may be worn as a ventilated short in the form of an outer garment. By short" I understand to signify a trouser-like garment. In this disclosure the short has open side portions.

It is to be noted that my invention may also be incorporated in slips, swim suits, house coats, culottes, girdles and the like,

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described and illustrated the preferred embodiments of my invention, but it will be understood that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

In a two-piece convertible athletic garment having front and rear openings at its lower portion to permit unrestricted leg movements, an outer garment member having a removable inner garment member, said inner garment member having a waist line and front and rear body portions separable at the waist line and having removable connecting means at said waist line, whereby said inner garment may be separately worn as an outer garment member, said openings being defined by side edges, said inner garment being bifurcated and forming leg members, said inner garment having an inseam, the lower end portions of said leg members comprising fabric extending from the lower boundary and terminating substantially at the hips, said inner garment having strips of fastening elements secured thereto in vertically parallel relation and extending substantially from the Waist to the bottom edge thereof, said outer garment having concealed inward extensions at the front and rear midportions thereof, said extensions being joined at the central portion of said outer garment and facing in opposite directions, said extensions starting substantially at the waist line and terminating above the bottom edge of said outer garment, one of said front and one of said rear extensions having its upper end attached to said garment by concealed securing means, one of said front and one of said rear extensions being foldable and having means for detachably securing its upper end, respectively, to said garment, said garment fabric having concealed securing means complementary to said securing means at the upper ends of said extensions, whereby said detachably secured foldable front and rear extensions may be folded over and secured substantially all along their lengths in superposed relation with said secured extensions to close said openings, thereby converting said athletic garment with front and rear openings into a skirt-form garment with a marginally intact bottom.

LOUIS MINTZES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,308,929 Mintzes Jan, 19, 1943 2,188,230 Friedman Nov. 29, 1938 1,421,162 Buckley June 27, 1922 1,218,501 Whittingham Mar. 6, 1917 1,095,895 Langman May 5, 1914 1,022,405 Cowen Apr; 9, 19.12 1,972,795 Riefianacht Sept. 4, 1934 

